The Price of Prejudice
by TheFireMeltsTheIce
Summary: Every year, Katara took her family down to her hometown's annual festival, and every year they went home with smiles on their face, and a framework of memories. This time, however, shows to be much different than the years passed.


_Little, tiny snowflakes feathered from the crisp starry sky. The air was brisk, but not bitter, and the glistening stars juxtaposed the spectacular navy sky, adorned with a marvel of Northern Lights to top off the occasion. It was the annual Glacier Spirits Festival of the Southern Water Tribe, and Katara never missed it. That meant her family never did either. Katara dragged her family down from the heat of the Fire Nation to her familiar tundra habitat for the special celebration. It was a lot of fun, and it gave them all a chance to spend time with Hakoda, Sokka, and most of the time, Toph, Iroh, and Suki would attend as well. _

Katara's husband spent most of his time with his teeth chattering, in fourteen layers of clothes, and a hot chocolate between his frozen fingers at a fire. Zuko and Katara had four children: Kya, whom was the eldest at age six, Ursa whom was four, their only son, Lu Ten, whom was two, and an infant daughter, Kanna. The three older children loved their grandfather, and would huddle by his rocking chair and amusingly listen to the cracking of the fire and to the way the old man would spoil them and speak. Hakoda also adored his grandchildren, and would do anything for them.

But, the part Zuko dreaded most of all was the forced snowball adventures he was dragged on every year. It wasn't that he disliked spending time with his children, he loved his children, it was the damn cold. He wondered how not one of them took after him, and couldn't bear it. Katara and Sokka were busy helping run all the festivities, and Hakoda was watching after baby Kanna, so that left Zuko to take the children out for their snow time fun.

So, out in the blanket of white, Zuko chased his young ones, capturing them in his arms as he smothered the visible parts of their little, rosy-cheeked, red-nosed faces in kisses.

"Daddy, Daddy, look at me, I'm a snowbender!" Kya cried out, bending a pile of snow into a slope. Zuko's eyes widened.

"B-Be careful with that, honey!" Zuko warned, running over towards her, as his younger daughter tugged at his parka.

"Daddy, when are you going to go down the sled with me?" Ursa whined.

"In a minute, sweetheart," he ensured, trying to get Kya to tone down the intensity of her sledding vision come reality. As Zuko went to coax his eldest into taking it down a notch in her icy engineering, he heard his son crying, and the sound of Ursa's laughter. He rolled his eyes and began trudging over to the two of them, leaving Kya to her snow castle whims.

"Ursa, what did you do to your brother?" Zuko groaned, picking up his daughter, and his son in two different arms.

"Nothing!" Ursa exclaimed behind a giggle.

"Liar!" Lu Ten sniffled, "Meanie Ursa stuffed snow down my pants- again!"

"Ursa!" Zuko snapped, sympathizing for his son as he shivered at the thought. The cold around him was bad enough. "How many times do I have to tell you not to be mean to your brother! Trust me, it will affect him later on if you keep it up! I don't like it when you fight," Zuko chastised. "If you keep this up, you won't get to go to the fair tonight."

"But, Daddy!" Ursa whined, tugging at his robes again.

"I mean it, Ursa. Be a good girl, okay?" Zuko warned, placing her down again as he gave his son a peck on the cheek. "Why don't you stay with Daddy awhile?" Zuko said to his son as the teary boy nodded, clutching onto his father's neck for dear life.

As Zuko spent time comforting his younger children, he saw Kya had practically erected an ice castle. "Kya!" Zuko exclaimed, trudging again through the snow with a groan.

As he marched through the icy fortress, a grunt was heard from behind. Zuko shot around. It was two burly men in their middle-ages, maybe doubling Zuko in age, as Zuko was twenty-eight, and the men looked in their mid-fifties. They were holding weapons. Zuko prayed they were going hunting for dinner. "Kya, Ursa- get over here," Zuko demanded sternly.

"Daddy, I-" Kya began to gripe, but she was interrupted.

"I mean it!" Zuko snapped, and the girl bit back her tears, going to her father with her sister. The man with the longer beard spat out a piece of chewing tobacco, and encroached them.

"Can I help you?" Zuko inquired firmly, holding his children close.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" the scrawnier man speculated, and Zuko nodded.

"What is it?" Zuko asked, shaking his head.

"I knew it, I damn well knew it, Makka!" the scrawny man yelled as the bearded man reached for his stone hammer in his pocket.

"What're your children half-Water Tribe for, eh? No Fire Nation whore good enough for you? What- even you know your own kind are the scum of the Earth, so you take one of ours. Spirits, you take our best La damned one!" the bearded man screamed, making Zuko's daughters jump and clutch onto their father tightly. Zuko put a protective arm around them, biting his tongue as not to go off at them. He knew if he wanted to keep his children safe, he'd need to shut up and restrain his temper.

"What do you want?" Zuko gritted through his teeth.

"Nothin' really. Your little brats can go. We came to speak to you. We're not interested in children," the scrawny man chimed in, stepping closer.

"Nothing? Then go," Zuko urged. "I'm just here trying to spend time with my children. If you have business with me as the fire lord, you can speak to me later."

"We've had enough business with you, Fire Lord. We want you usurped, as a child-friendly way to put it," the bulky man stated vigorously as Zuko's heart started to race.

"Move the children," the scrawny man ordered a s the burlier man hoisted the three kids over his shoulders. Zuko immediately jumped into action.

"Put. Them. Down," Zuko ordered firmly, sprouting a flame from his fist as a warning.

"We're just makin' sure they don't get hurt none when we have our go at you," the skinny man explained, picking at his tooth.

"Daddy, I'm scared!" Kya cried, starting to pound her fists on the man's back, trying to bend some snow to defend herself.

The burly man tossed the kids aside into the fluff of the snow. The snow was thankfully deep enough so they wouldn't be injured by the impact of their falls. Zuko dashed to their sides, ensuring their safety. Though, the detour made the fire lord susceptible. The burly man crept up from behind.

"Chief Hakoda is goin' thank us for this. He don't want his daughter to be married to no ash-maker. Bad enough he already got you breedin' with her," the burly man shouted before clubbing Zuko in the head with his stonehead hammer, causing all three of the children to scream in horror. There was now blood seeping through into the snow.

"Daddy!" a chorus of little voices shrieked in horror at the sight. "Stop it! Don't hurt him! Please!" Kya cried as she drew her brother and sister into her arms, closing her petrified eyes, and advising her siblings to do the same. They were all shaking, and now crying.

She raced over to the man who had his arm lifted to knock the already-unconscious Zuko again in the skull. She kicked his shin; the man barely flinched. He kicked her instead. Kya inhaled sharply, trying to think quick on her little feet. She mustered up her courage and bent a large pound of snow, using it to thrash against the two attackers- knocking them out.

"Don't touch my daddy!" Kya shouted through tears, running to her father's side.

"Daddy?" Ursa whimpered, stepping over the knocked-out men to go to her father, dragging her brother along.

"I have to go get Mommy!" Kya sniffled, wiping her eyes fervently. "She has to heal Daddy!"

"What do we do? We can't leave Daddy alone? And- and what if the men wake up?" Ursa cried. "They'll hurt us and kill Daddy!"

"No! We- we'll-" Kya hesitated, glancing around. Her tiny heart was pounding in her chest. She nodded as she spotted the cliff that lead to an icy river. "We'll throw them over there."

"What? Kya!" Ursa squealed.

"We have to! Then I'll go find Grandpa or Mommy or Uncle Sokka or anyone who can help! Daddy's bleeding! We don't have time, Ursa! You stay here with Lu Ten! I- I'll go… right after we get rid of the evil guys," Kya commanded, and Ursa began to tear up even more, lying over her father and bawling as she clutched him tight.

"It's not fair! Why- why do people always try to hurt Daddy? Daddy is good! He's kind, and he wants to help the world! Why do they want to hurt him, Kya?" Ursa wept, and Kya had tears down her cheeks as well.

"I don't know! We- we don't have time for being crybabies! Daddy always says that you need to focus on what's ahead, and now, not what's said and done," Kya stated with determination. "Now, let's go!"

At the eldest girl's beck and call, the three children began tugging at the bulky man, dragging his heavyset weight across the snow until they pushed with all their might against him, knocking him over the edge, listening for the splash into the freezing water. They then raced over, panting in the cold to take care of the next attacker, watching him plunge into the chilled creek as well.

"Remember the plan. I'm going to go get help! I- I promise I'll be back!" Kya cried, watching her siblings hold each other at their bleeding father's feet. They nodded, and she nodded back. She then raced off, heading back to her grandfather's igloo, calling out for help.

She finally reached the familiar sculpture of ice, and she darted inside. She was struck by the sudden warmth, and her nose was runny, and she was covered in tears.

"Grandpa!" Kya cried, causing Hakoda to jolt, and Katara to rush in from the kitchen to see what the clamor was about.

"Kya, honey, what is it?" Hakoda pressed, kneeling to her level and wiping the tears from her face. "Where is your father? Your siblings?"

"Th- they're- they're-" Kya stumbled, choking on her hitching, teary breaths.

"Baby, what's wrong? Mommy's here," Katara spoke, panicking as she drew her daughter into her arms. Kya clutched her mother tightly.

"Mommy! These men… they said they were angry that you married Daddy because he's Fire Nation, a- and-" Kya sobbed, and both Katara and Hakoda's blood already ran cold. They knew where this was heading.

"What? What then, baby?" Katara pressed, her own heart now racing. "Where are your brother and sister- where's your father?"

"They hit Daddy in the head with a hammer! He's bleeding, Mommy! All over! Lu Ten and Ursa are watching him, I took care of the bad guys, but I'm scared for Daddy, Mommy! You have to heal him, Mommy, please!" Kya begged, sobbing, clutching onto her mother.

"Spirits, not again…" Hakoda muttered in fear, his hand coming to his lips as Katara froze. "The man can't even go out and spend time with his children without someone trying to- I don't understand it… I- he's a good man, he doesn't deserve… he's a good kid… he…"

Katara stood, tears trailing down her face now. "Dad, look after Kya for me, alright? I have to go find Zuko."

"No! Mommy! I have to make sure Daddy's okay! Please!" Kya begged on the brink of hysterics.

"Kya, no! Stop it!" Katara snapped.

"Bring him back here after you heal him initially. When Sokka and Suki come in, we can help, and the boy needs some warmth," Hakoda stated, picking up Kya, an audible lump in his throat.

"No! I- I have to show you where we were!" Kya cried, and Katara paused. She was right. It would be too slow for her to find on her own, wasting time she didn't have.

"Alright- al-alright," Katara spoke reluctantly.

"Then, I'm coming too," Hakoda stated, as his daughter nodded. Katara slid on her parka, grabbed her healing pouch, and darted out the door, followed by her daughter and father.

Katara bent the snow from her path and followed her daughter's directions. She started running when she finally saw them in the distance. "Spirits, Zuko…" Katara muttered as she raced towards him. She began to shake when she saw all the blood, and her young children weeping.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, cradling her husband in her arms. "Oh no, oh please… please," Katara whimpered, examining the wound. It was bad. It was a long time, a lot of blood.

"You can fix him, right, Mommy?" Lu Ten wept.

"Sure can, sweetheart," Katara choked out, she wish she meant what she said with certainty. Katara took out her water patch, which was inhibited from the cold. "No, no, no, dammit, please no," Katara cursed at the faulty, half-frozen water. Hakoda hovered from behind, his heart pounding. Katara began working her magic on her husband's head, holding him close as she finished all she could. "Zuko, please, please- I'm sorry, Zuko… I'm sorry, I came as fast as I could. Please get up, don't do this to me. I love you, Zuko please- I-I need you. The children need you… Spirits, we all need you. The whole damn world needs you, Zuko. But, we need Zuko, not the fire lord- I- please-" Katara cried, kissing Zuko's frozen forehead and listening to the few, and far between beats of his heart.

"Why won't Daddy get up?" Kya screamed from her grandfather's arms. Zuko's eyes then began to flutter open, and Katara smiled brightly, brushing the hair from his face, and cupping it in her hands.

"Zuko?" Katara exclaimed, "Zuko, honey, it's me, I'm here, I'm here… it's going to be just fine, we're going to take you home, and give you some tea, and it'll be alright. I promise, okay?" Katara rambled, and Zuko groaned.

"I- I don't know, Katara, I-" Zuko feebly croaked out, his hand raising to try to touch her face, and wipe away her tears. "The children? Are they hurt? Are they-?"

"Shhh, no, no, they're just fine… All of them… just fine. We love you, okay, it's going to be okay," Katara insisted, and Zuko's expression relaxed. His children swarmed around him.

"Daddy?" Ursa squeaked hopefully. Zuko smiled weakly, and closed his eyes.

"I love you, honey," Zuko mumbled.

"I love you too, Daddy, you have to come back to Grandpa's now!" Ursa cried, tugging at his winter clothes.

"I love you all. Don't let-" Zuko muttered, gasping for breath, Katara's heart racing once more.

"Sweetheart, please, you- you need to rest. Don't start-" Katara panicked, his heart was slowing again. "Zuko!"

"Don't let the country go to hell, make sure- the world… okay… love you… tell everyone… love them… don't… no war… Uncle Iroh… everyone… love them… please…" Zuko muttered, his speech slurred in between, and warbled until it faded out, making Katara freeze, and not from the cold.

Her husband was dead.

She couldn't move, or speak, or feel.

She was there for the weekend to have a break and be happy with her family, and he was killed.

Her children's father was dead.

"Daddy?!" was the whimper Katara heard in the background of her racing thoughts, with a rough hand on her shoulder.

They killed him because he was from the Fire Nation.

It had been tried so many times, but this time, it wasn't futile.

Zuko was gone.

Spirits, he was gone.

And, what for? Nothing more than the price of prejudice.


End file.
